Art Basel Miami Beach added a new chapter to its history on Thursday, December 4, with the inaugural Art Basel Awards Night. Held at the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center, the star-studded event marked the close of the first cycle for the Art Basel Awards, a new accolade presented in partnership with BOSS to celebrate individuals and organizations shaping the future of contemporary culture.

Hosted by producer and enthusiastic art collector Kasseem ‘Swizz Beatz’ Dean, the program brought together artists, curators, and patrons Mike Winkelmann ('Beeple'), Tavares Strachan, Anne Pasternak, and Don and Mera Rubell for an immersive night that combined ceremony with live performance, sound, and architecture. Leading voices from the music and entertainment industry were also out in force, including A$AP Ferg, Khalid, and Fridayy.

A set by the New World Symphony opened the event, which concluded with a special appearance from singer and cellist Kelsey Lu, whose performance seamlessly bridged classical and experimental forms.

The 2025 Gold Awardees were selected through a unique peer-nominated process and reviewed by an international jury of curators and institutional leaders, including Franklin Sirmans, Director of Pérez Art Museum Miami; Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of Serpentine, London; and Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director of M+, Hong Kong.

The 2025 Gold Awardees are:

• Cecilia Vicuña (Icon)
• Nairy Baghramian, Ibrahim Mahama (Established Artists)
• Mohammad Alfaraj, Saodat Ismailova (Emerging Artists)
• Formafantasma (Cross-Disciplinary Creators)
• Joel Wachs (Patron)
• RAW Material Company (Institution)
• Candice Hopkins (Curator)
• Gasworks/Triangle Network (Allies)
• Negar Azimi (Media & Storytelling)

Each awardee was presented with a hand-blown glass trophy designed by Jacques Herzog of Herzog & de Meuron, produced in Basel to resemble the shape of breath – a metaphor for inspiration. Awards in the artist categories include nearly USD 300,000 in flexible funding, delivered through honorariums and philanthropic gifts.

'Thank you on behalf of the ancient, suppressed world I come from,' said Cecilia Vicuña in a moving address when accepting her Icon Award. 'I hope that everyone present here tonight remembers that it is only in the union of our mind and heart — as the ancient world sees it — that can bring up the force of love for earth and for each other to ensure we have a future.' 

The President of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Joel Wachs, who was presented with the Patron Award, called on the spirit of the foundation's founder. 'I believe this award should be accepted in the name of Andy Warhol,' he said. 'He’s an artist who is fast becoming as well known for his incredible acts of patronage and philanthropy as he is in his groundbreaking art. I know he would be particularly proud today, especially in these troubling times, that the foundation he created to support the visual arts still endures and that we’re doubling down during this time of need to proudly embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. I hope Andy’s philanthropy and your recognition of it will serve as an inspiration for other future artists.'

The evening also saw the introduction of the BOSS Award for Outstanding Achievement, presented in recognition of sustained cultural influence across and beyond the art world. This year’s recipient is Meriem Bennani.

'For the first time, the entire arts ecosystem - from artists to cultural leaders and the many people working behind the scenes around the world - was recognized on a global stage,' refected Swizz Beatz after the event. Through The Dean Collection, we’ve always believed in championing artists, and tonight embodied that energy in the most powerful way.'

Following the ceremony, guests gathered on the rooftop for an after-party featuring a DJ set by Nick León, whose locally rooted electronic sound infused the evening with Miami flair.